Detailing Engine Mopar Turquoise - Specifically

[BigblueC]

Are you interested in the opinions about the stub frame/suspension/brakes?

Not to hijack the thread, but since we're talking engine compartment and you offered, I'm interested in the details.

 

[detmatt]

Unless I missed it, nobody mentioned that the radiator hoses and both ground wires were attached before painting, so they got painted near the engine. I believe the heater hoses also.

And exhaust manifolds.

 

[Big_John]

Brackets etc. were usually dipped in paint rather than sprayed. I don't believe that the amount of sheen or gloss was very consistent between paint batches and vendors.

I like the Duplicolor semi-gloss Ford black and their gloss black. Too many black parts painted with the same uniform gloss doesn't look "correct" to me so I paint some with semi-gloss and some with gloss.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Yup - manifolds (I did mention earlier), ground strap. I was not aware re the heater hoses, but hoses were often changed out as they aged... interesting.

I have opinions on front suspension and stub frame colours, but there are others who are very knowledgable and I'd enjoy hearing from them first...

 

[SF-66TC]

The brackets for the power steering pump, A/C compressor, Heater hose support and alternator are all flat black. The linkage pivot at the rear of the engine is the correct color of blue for this application. The transmission kick down linkage, throttle rod and coil bracket are natural metal and unpainted. Coil is flat black. Distributor is natural metal color. The fuel pump and oil filter were usually painted the same color as the engine from the factory. Transmission dip tube is natural metal. Fittings for the A/C lines are natural metal. Breather cap is flat black. Fuel filters were usually natural metal, though some were painted the same color as the engine. You have an updated brake master cylinder and ignition system that are not correct for the application if you are going for factory correct. Suction line for the A/C compressor should have a flat black finish up to the fitting on the other side of the muffler. Power steering pump and A/C compressor are painted flat black. Pulleys for the power steering pump, fan and crank drive are painted flat black. Harmonic balancer is the same color as the engine. Bracket for the distributor could be either natural metal or the same color as the engine or flat black, it varied. Throttle spring bracket and throttle cable bracket are the same color as the engine. Fuel line is natural metal color. Motor mounts are natural rubber and the steel portions are flat black. If the new hoses are OEM mopar, leave the part number sleeves on, otherwise take them off. Fuel filter is installed on the suction side of the pump, not correct but if the tank was dirty, leave it be. Soft plugs in the block should be the same color as the engine.

I am not sure, but it looks like you may also have an updated fan clutch and fan as most 383 engines that were 2BBL equipped from the factory did not have a clutch fan.

Dave

Thanks Dave for the detailed explanations!

Do you happen to know what the color of the power steering pump was? There's a tinge of "Turquoise", but looks like it was painted over in black.

 

[SF-66TC]

Ok Gents! Found a crack that went straight across the timing gear so while I have everything apart I might as well detail the engine compartment as much as I can.

'66 Town and Country (67K miles) that came with a 2-bbl 383 that pops converted over to a carter 4-bbl. Engine was rebuilt back in the 70's due to I think, a spun bearing. When pops
put the engine back together he just spray painted everything with whatever paint color he got from work which amounted to; silver, gold and black. What I'd like to do is return everything back to its original color and that includes any associated brackets etc. I only know as much (mostly from others photos) that the intake manifold, valve covers, heads, block, water pump, timing cover and oil pan cover were all painted the Mopar Turquoise, BUT what about anything else?

From current photos I do see that a couple of brackets (air conditioner and accelerator linkage/brackets) are painted the Turquoise color... I'd like to try to get as accurate as possible so if anyone has any photos or input that would be most helpful. Thanks!

View attachment 214977 View attachment 215014

Thanks ALL for the feedback - I really appreciate it! Will post some pics when completed, but may take a bit!

 

[SF-66TC]

For an accurate match of the engine color, which I needed for detailing my '67 Newport 383 4bbl in the earlier 1980s, I went to a local auto supply/Sherwin-Williams Auto Refinish dealer and we got out his chip book. "Desert Turquoise" 1966 Dodge Truck color! He built me a quart in acrylic enamel and I applied it with a camel hair paint brush. Worked GREAT! At a time when only Hemi Orange was available in spray cans. Exact match!

As for the black brackets, they are a satiny black, NO gloss black anywhere!!! Same satiny black as the air cleaner. I found some GM Engine Enamel spray can "Gloss Black" paint. Not really "gloss" black, but not as flat as the normal "flat black" paint. Same "gloss" level as the GM sheet metal primer that came on fenders and such. We had some at work, which was even handier! I was afraid of the "Gloss Black" noimenclature, but after it dried, it was "dead on" to what the air cleaner (and GM air cleaners, too!) were. Probably now in "GM Engine Black" as they went to a black color in the later '70s, which vastly decreased valve cover oil leak warranty complaints.

With the spray paints, I got a small glass bottle and a camel hair brush. I'd spray the paint into the bottle, staying out of the "mist", and then brush it on the metal a/c lines (the engine black). For the metal uncoated a/c lines, I used some red Scotchbrite to "polish" them, which made them look quite nice.

As for how the engine is painted, when it's done at the engine plant, it is not "fully dressed" with the accessories and such. The throttle pivot bracket will be attached, as will the ground cable to the front intake manifold bolt. Those things will be "engine color". Probably the water pump assy, too. And, for the purists, the base of the spark plugs will have engine paint on them as they would be installed when the painting was done. It was more to keep rust away than a "show car" finish, so there'd be some light spots and RUNS, in a few cases. "Coverage" was the key.

I'm always a little afraid of the pre-packaged engine paint colors. Unless they are "licensed" by the OEM or come from the OEM's dealership parts departments, the colors might be "off" a bit. Best to get a paint store to mix them, against a chip code, for a more accurate match, even allowing for some "heat fade".

That's what worked for me, many times.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

Thanks for the add on feedback CBODY67!

 

[SF-66TC]

Yup - manifolds (I did mention earlier), ground strap. I was not aware re the heater hoses, but hoses were often changed out as they aged... interesting.

I have opinions on front suspension and stub frame colours, but there are others who are very knowledgable and I'd enjoy hearing from them first...

Sure, your opinions on front suspension and sub frame colors are welcomed. Best to create a NEW post for the subject to keep it separate from this thread. When I rebuilt my suspension I simply cleaned and POR-15 and Top Coated everything. I can post my pics when you create the new post! Thanks Ross!

 

[Davea Lux]

Thanks Dave for the detailed explanations!

Do you happen to know what the color of the power steering pump was? There's a tinge of "Turquoise", but looks like it was painted over in black.

Power steering pump should be black. As noted above the flat black paints currently available from Krylon and other manufacturers are not a good match to what was put on the brackets and such at the factory. My recollection was that the rattle cans we had the dealership with the Mopar logo were labeled flat black, but it did have more of a satin finish. As far as I know nobody actually reproduces the correct paint, so it is kind of a crap shoot to find one that is close. Find one you like and go with it.

A couple of things I forgot to mention, the plug wire brackets were painted engine color at the factory. Most of the time the engine paint peeled off the rubber grommets and they appeared to be unpainted, the whole thing should have engine paint.

Second, the automatic choke assembly that bolts into the intake manifold should retain the natural metal color as these were added after the engine was painted.

As also noted above, some production lines had their own particular quirks and those engine colors and paint schemes were sometimes different, especially for Canada produced cars.

Dave

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

My original was red... Canadian thing perhaps. I prefer black though...

 

[Dobalovr]

My original was red... Canadian thing perhaps. I prefer black though...

I am with you on that Ross. My 66 300 383 was painted all red including the P/S pump.

 

[CBODY67]

On the brake booster color, all three of my cars ('66. '67, '70) have the same power drum brake booster and all three were "cad" rather than black. The '72 Newport Royal, with the larger diameter Moraine booster, is black. It has factory power disc brakes. All USA-spec cars. We bought the '66 when the new '67s came out. It had 7100 miles and we knew it was sold by the local dealer. The '67 and '70 were bought used and showed no signs of molestation or parts having been altered/changed. The '72 was bought new, at the end of the '72 model year, at the local dealer. All of their underhood appearances was consistent with what I saw on new vehicles at the dealership, over those time periods. Be that as it may.

I agree that as with other aspects of assembling a car, plant differences do exist with respect to inspection marks/paint daubs or even some particular items that might have been substituted to keep the assembly line running. Just the nature of assembly line things. If a non-tilt column might have been installed rather than a "not there at the right time, in the needed color" tilt column, the correct item would be shipped to the dealer for later installation, under warranty, usually, OR a revised window sticker might have been sent, if it was a stock unit. One time when the build sheet might not agree with the window sticker.

The heater hose loop was pre-1965 model year, I believe, when the hoses didn't route over to the inner fender area, but the same-appearing valve cover was still used, sans loop. #6 and #8 plug wires had the plastic "fold-over" insulators which snapped into the valve cover bracket extension for them. Different model years of plug wires routed the wires differently, from one year to the next, OEM. Some aftermarket wire sets combined several applications to get the wires from the distributor to the spark plug. Possibly even getting a Mopar set would have a part number change to a later model year set of wires? This is one area where the FSM and the illustrations on the plug wire catalog can come in handy! Many things we might have suspected as "the same" were different, even between vehicle platforms or model years.

In "the dip" for paint, I understand the dipping apparatus is actually a tank, large or small, which is filled with water and the paint poured on top of the water. As the part is dipped into this liquid combination, the paint ends up sticking and being used economically. This is how the drips/sags happen as the paint dries on the particular part. Whether it's control arms or otherwise.

I'd recommend that if anybody ever gets close to a vehicle assembly plant, you inquire about "Tours". Our Buick club chapter went through the Arlington, TX assembly plant several times, at night, as one of our members retired from there. That's where we learned about "off-line assembly" of components by senior employees. Where we saw a complete fender assy installed, with 5 bolts. Many other things, but we couldn't see the body shop area.

When we went to the '87 National meet in Flint, MI, we toured the then-LeSabre plant, known as Buick City. We saw lots more things there. In the engine plant tour, we saw things like when the engines were painted and dressed. How the camshafts were Parkerized. So many neat things! But we could only look into the dyno room where the engines got their initial run-in time (30 minutes, I believe), before they went to their "final check" area.

Combining that with many years of observations of the judging of vehicles at Mopar Nats, the related "Concours" judgine (1400 point judging sheet, by Chrysler vehicle experts), and the survivor cars on display. The sub-assembly orientation is HUGE!. Beats the heck our of laying in the front floor resealing the hvac system! Of course, with the instrument panel removed, it helps. The instrument panel was assembled on a work bench, then, with the front seats out, walked through the interior and bolted into place. Lots of little things later jump out of how to better do things, IF you have the space and some willing help.

Contrasting the differences between UniBody and "frame" vehicles, front wheel drive and rear wheel drive, etc. are interesting, too.

Sorry for getting a little side-tracked!

CBODY67

 

[Clover]

The heater hose loop was used through the 1968 model year.

 

[Clover]

There are two versions of the heater hose loop.

 

[LocuMob]

There are two versions of the heater hose loop.

Parts book time.

 

[SF-66TC]

On the brake booster color, all three of my cars ('66. '67, '70) have the same power drum brake booster and all three were "cad" rather than black. The '72 Newport Royal, with the larger diameter Moraine booster, is black. It has factory power disc brakes. All USA-spec cars. We bought the '66 when the new '67s came out. It had 7100 miles and we knew it was sold by the local dealer. The '67 and '70 were bought used and showed no signs of molestation or parts having been altered/changed. The '72 was bought new, at the end of the '72 model year, at the local dealer. All of their underhood appearances was consistent with what I saw on new vehicles at the dealership, over those time periods. Be that as it may.

I agree that as with other aspects of assembling a car, plant differences do exist with respect to inspection marks/paint daubs or even some particular items that might have been substituted to keep the assembly line running. Just the nature of assembly line things. If a non-tilt column might have been installed rather than a "not there at the right time, in the needed color" tilt column, the correct item would be shipped to the dealer for later installation, under warranty, usually, OR a revised window sticker might have been sent, if it was a stock unit. One time when the build sheet might not agree with the window sticker.

The heater hose loop was pre-1965 model year, I believe, when the hoses didn't route over to the inner fender area, but the same-appearing valve cover was still used, sans loop. #6 and #8 plug wires had the plastic "fold-over" insulators which snapped into the valve cover bracket extension for them. Different model years of plug wires routed the wires differently, from one year to the next, OEM. Some aftermarket wire sets combined several applications to get the wires from the distributor to the spark plug. Possibly even getting a Mopar set would have a part number change to a later model year set of wires? This is one area where the FSM and the illustrations on the plug wire catalog can come in handy! Many things we might have suspected as "the same" were different, even between vehicle platforms or model years.

In "the dip" for paint, I understand the dipping apparatus is actually a tank, large or small, which is filled with water and the paint poured on top of the water. As the part is dipped into this liquid combination, the paint ends up sticking and being used economically. This is how the drips/sags happen as the paint dries on the particular part. Whether it's control arms or otherwise.

I'd recommend that if anybody ever gets close to a vehicle assembly plant, you inquire about "Tours". Our Buick club chapter went through the Arlington, TX assembly plant several times, at night, as one of our members retired from there. That's where we learned about "off-line assembly" of components by senior employees. Where we saw a complete fender assy installed, with 5 bolts. Many other things, but we couldn't see the body shop area.

When we went to the '87 National meet in Flint, MI, we toured the then-LeSabre plant, known as Buick City. We saw lots more things there. In the engine plant tour, we saw things like when the engines were painted and dressed. How the camshafts were Parkerized. So many neat things! But we could only look into the dyno room where the engines got their initial run-in time (30 minutes, I believe), before they went to their "final check" area.

Combining that with many years of observations of the judging of vehicles at Mopar Nats, the related "Concours" judgine (1400 point judging sheet, by Chrysler vehicle experts), and the survivor cars on display. The sub-assembly orientation is HUGE!. Beats the heck our of laying in the front floor resealing the hvac system! Of course, with the instrument panel removed, it helps. The instrument panel was assembled on a work bench, then, with the front seats out, walked through the interior and bolted into place. Lots of little things later jump out of how to better do things, IF you have the space and some willing help.

Contrasting the differences between UniBody and "frame" vehicles, front wheel drive and rear wheel drive, etc. are interesting, too.

Sorry for getting a little side-tracked!

CBODY67

In regards to your comment about the color of the power brake booster, what is "cad"? Does that stand for, Zinc Dichromate Original GM/Chrysler plating (Gold)? The booster had the zinc plating prior to getting it rebuilt by Booster Dewey. At the time I wasn't too concerned about the color and was too cheap to spend $50 to get it re-plated. The plating wasn't in that bad condition and I guess I could have told Dewey not to paint it. Since I did scratch the paint installing it I guess I could Jasco the booster to get all the paint off... Hmmm maybe NOT - I'll just sand the scratches and repaint it black LOL!

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

CAD stands for Cadmium I believe.

 

[SF-66TC]

There are two versions of the heater hose loop.

Is this the heater hose loop y'all are referring to?

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

That's the heater hose bracket on the alternator. There are a number of different versions - AC, non-AC and they vary in design year to year.

The loop they're speaking of actually clips into that odd little bracket on the the passenger side valve cover. There are a couple of versions too:

Mopar Heater Hose Bracket Some 67 All 68 Big Block A Body with A/C some non-A/C | eBay

 

[Wonderwagon]

Oksy so, Mopar Turquoise best color for 69 B/RB bn locks, Eastwood and Bill Hirsch colors did not match, but are close know. clarifing.